Sigurd, nicknamed “Snake’s Eye,” was a Viking warrior in the mid-9th century. According to The Tale of Ragnar Lodbrok, he is one of the sons of the legendary Viking Ragnar Lodbrok from Norse mythology.
Sigurd in the Vikings series
1. Etymology of Sigurd
The names Sigurd and Siegfried do not share the same etymology. Both have the same first element, Proto-Germanic sigi, meaning victory. However, the second elements of the two names are different: in Siegfried, it is Proto-Germanic frio, meaning peace; in Sigurd, it is Proto-Germanic forward, meaning protection.
Although they do not share the same second element, it is clear that the surviving Scandinavian written sources considered Siegfried to be the continental version of the name that was called Sigurd.
The normal form of Siegfried in Middle High German is Sivrit or Sifrit, with the element sigi contracted. This form of the name had been common even outside heroic poetry since the 9th century, although the form Sigevrit is also attested, along with the Middle Dutch Zegevrijt.
In early modern German, the name becomes Seyfrid or Seufrid. The modern form Siegfried is not frequently attested until the 17th century, after which it becomes more common. In modern scholarship, the form Sigfrid is sometimes used.
2. Origins
Unlike many figures in the Germanic heroic tradition, Sigurd cannot be easily identified with a historical figure. The most popular theory is that Sigurd has its origins in one or more figures from the Merovingian dynasty of the Franks: the Merovingians had several kings whose names began with the element sigi.
In particular, the murder of Sigebert I, who was married to Brunhilda of Australia, is often cited as a likely inspiration for the figure, a theory first proposed in 1613. Sigibert was murdered by his brother Chilperic I at the instigation of Chilperic’s wife, Queen Fredegunda.
If this theory is correct, then in the legend, Fredegunda and Brunhilda appear to have switched roles, while Chilperic has been replaced by Gunther. However, these parallels are not exact and are not accepted by all scholars. Jens Haustein argues that, while the story of Sigurd seems to have Merovingian resonances, no connection to any specific historical figure or event is convincing.
3. The youth of Sigurd
The slaying of the dragon is attested to in the 11th-century Ramsund carving in Sweden and on the Gok runestone, which appears to be a copy of the carving. Both stones depict elements of the story that are identifiable in later Norse myths.
In both the German and Scandinavian versions, Sigurd’s slaying of the dragon is imbued with superhuman abilities. In the Norse sources, Sigurd comes to understand the language of birds after tasting the dragon’s blood and then eating its heart.
In the German versions, Siegfried bathes in the dragon’s blood, developing skin that is as hard as steel itself.
In continental sources, Sigurd’s victory over the Nibelungen treasure and the slaying of the dragon are two separate events; the Thidrekssaga does not even mention Sigurd acquiring the treasure. In the Norse tradition, the two events are combined, and Sigurd’s awakening of Brunhild and his father’s revenge are also mentioned, although not in all sources.
It is likely that the Norse tradition substantially modified the events of Sigurd’s youth. Sigurd’s liberation of a virgin woman named Brynhild is only recounted in Scandinavian sources, but may be an original part of the oral tradition along with the slaying of the dragon, as the Nibelungenlied seems to indicate that Siegfried and Brunhild already knew each other.
The cursed treasure
The origin of the treasure as a cursed ransom paid by the gods is generally considered a late and exclusively Scandinavian development.
Also attested in the Ramsund carving, and therefore at an early date, is that Sigurd was raised by a blacksmith.
4. Legendary Viking Myth
With the success of the modern adaptation of both the Viking era and Norse mythology, the popularity of Viking heroes has been growing steadily. Among them is the man, Ragnar Lothbrok, who was a legendary hero of the Vikings.
The historical existence of Ragnar Lothbrok, however, is a debate that has not been adequately answered. Like famous figures such as King Arthur, Ragnar Lothbrok was the legendary hero that scholars believe was a combination of many Viking heroes. And the tales of Ragnar were pieces of Viking sagas.
The raider of the old chapters
There is a theory that the gods or demigods we know today were actually humans. The stories about them were passed down from generation to generation.
Among the people who passed them down orally, there could have been changes to the stories. The legends were so great that people told them as if they were really gods. Scholars believe that this happened with the materials we have about Ragnar.
A group of historians, on the other hand, agree that Ragnar Lothbrok existed historically. According to them, Ragnar was the first Scandinavian leader to invade Britain. People often saw him in battle in Viking sagas and tales. There, he was so great that he became a mythical figure.
Ragnar seemed to have a lot of names. “Lothbrok” was not his surname. Rather, it was his nickname and meant “hairy buttocks.” Sometimes people wrote his name as Regner or Regnar, his nickname as Lodbrok or Lodbrog. The king who unified Denmark and Sweden was Ragnar Sigurdsson.
Life and exploits
The Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of western France and Paris were the names that Ragnar Lothbrok supposedly plundered.
In addition, some accounts noted that he married three times in his life. His first wife was Lagertha, the legendary and famous Viking shield maiden, the noble woman Thóra Borgarhjortr, and Auslaug the princess.
The historical existence of Ragnar could be attested to by historical figures such as his sons. All of them were great warriors according to Viking history. Ubba was one of the commanders of the Great Viking Army that invaded Anglo-Saxon England in the 860s.
The Death of Ragnar Lothbrok
After Ragnar’s legendary death at the hands of King Aella of Northumbria, Ragnar’s sons sought revenge for their father.
5. The death of Sigurd
According to legend, Sigurd was killed by his own brother-in-law, Harald Wartooth, who had formed an alliance with other Viking leaders to defeat Sigurd and take his kingdom. Harald Wartooth allegedly invited Sigurd to a banquet and ambushed him there, killing him with a spear.
However, this version of events is largely fictional and based on epic poetry and Norse sagas, which often exaggerate and distort history to make it more dramatic or epic. The reality is that there are very few historical records of Sigurd’s life, so his death remains a mystery.
6. Sigurd in popular culture
Sigurd, the snake-eyed warrior, features prominently in the History Channel’s historical drama series Vikings, played by David Lindstrom.
The Vikings series has enjoyed great success and has spawned a number of spin-offs that continue the story of its protagonists. If you like thrills and history, you’re sure to enjoy it.
